Monday, December 31, 2012

Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of December (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here):Mystery & Suspense (14/24)14. Nobody Has to Know by Frank Nappi

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.Title: The Jericho River

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Reading Challenge has been around for 2 years! So that means, it's giveaway time! There will be 1 winner, and that winner will get a book of choice $11 or under from The Book Depository. The only rule is TBD must ship free to your country. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below:a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frank Nappi once again shows off his prowess at writing with his newest work, Nobody Has to Know. This also marks a departure for him from the historical fiction genre and into suspense.

Cameron Baldridge is a young English teacher who loves to enrich his student's classroom experience. As is the case with most young high school teachers, many of his students have developed a crush on him. This would not be a problem except Cam finds himself feeling the same way about one girl, Nikki. The two start texting and eventually find themselves alone in a motel room while Cam's fiance, Haley, is out of town. Unfortunately, Nikki winds up dead, and Cam runs away. Cam thinks he has covered his tracks, but someone saw him...and that person is now blackmailing him as his life spins out of control.

Nappi does a remarkable job with characterization. While Cam makes some remarkably ill-advised decisions, the reader still feels for him, empathizing with the panic he feels as the tension builds. The story does start off a little slow, but this lets the reader get to know Cam and sets the stage for the escalating suspense. The ending is also one hell of a twist, and while I am not sure how I feel about the outcome, I applaud Nappi for his bold choice. Normally I would not comment on grammar, but really the only problem with this novel is the lack of commas when addressing other characters.

Frank Nappi uses a lot of rich detail in his historical fiction, and he carries that talent over to Nobody Has to Know. I hope Nappi has more suspense in store for his fans, both present and future.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Thoughts: Fai's imagery is beautiful and does manage to transport the reader to China in the early twentieth century. However, the book is divided into two parts, and it would have been better - and helped with pacing - if it was two seperate books, one focusing on Li-Xia, the title character, and the other on Siu-Sing, her daughter.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Challenge: Dean Koontz ChallengeHost: The Book Garden2012 Level: Odd Thomas's Mailman (3 books) - FAILED!Thoughts: I normally do not do author-specific challenges, but as I had a few Koontz's on my shelf, I thought I would try. I only managed one, although I am about a third through False Memory, I know I will not complete this challenge.Books:1. The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz2.3.

Thoughts: Wow! Gaiman sure can spin a yarn. This is a highly imaginative mix of many different myths and legends, set against the backdrop of mainly small-town Midwest. Definitely a book to make you think while taking you on an intoxicating journey.

The Fart That Saved Christmas is
subtitled An Adults’ Christmas Tale, and that is exactly what Jacob Morningside
and illustrator Nadja Andrasev have created.
This irreverent picture books tells a story about really goes on at the
North Pole. The reindeer are tired of
carrying Santa’s drunken weight and decide to go on strike on Christmas
Eve. It looks like Christmas will be
ruined until Santa lets one rip and they all fall down laughing. Morningside’s poem is definitely adult
oriented; Andrasev’s illustrations have a whimsical flair, and while nothing is
really dirty, they are sure not for young readers. The Fart
That Save Christmas will give a chuckle to adult readers who can still
enjoy childish humor.

Disclaimer

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the reviewer and not necessarily of Reading Challenged. No compensation has been provided for any review. Unless otherwise noted, all book cover images were taken from Goodreads.